My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 346 What Consort Xi did for her own children, Emperor Qianlong did not hesitate to provide disaster relief!

It was already dusk when Hongli met Liu Tongxun.

He then went to the Yuanmingyuan Garden to pay his respects to Emperor Yongzheng.

When he arrived near the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall, he saw Emperor Yongzheng holding a dog by the lake, watching the sunset in the west.

What are the current grain prices in the capital?

Before Hongli could even offer his greetings, Yongzheng inquired about him first.

Hongli had no choice but to reply: "The millet currently being sold by various factories costs one tael and two mace of silver, and the wheat costs one tael and eight mace of silver, both of which are more expensive than in the spring."

"Using military force harms the people!" Emperor Yongzheng lamented.

Hongli said, "Fortunately, we have won the first battle in the Northwest, and the people's hearts are relatively at ease. I only hope that the next campaign will go smoothly."

Yongzheng nodded: "Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be even more difficult."

"Your son will help Father back to rest."

At this point, Hongli took the initiative to make the suggestion.

Yongzheng nodded and then had Hongli help him back into the palace.

When Yongzheng returned, he didn't say much to Hongli, but instead used the excuse of needing to write an article to send him away.

Hongli then went to the Empress, who was also in the garden, and paid his respects to her.

The Empress's nephews were also in the Northwest Army, so she had some worries on her mind these days.

Fortunately, the initial victory in the Northwest eased the Empress's worries somewhat. After seeing Hongli arrive, she was in a better mood and chatted with him for a while.

Hongli then made a point of informing the Empress that several of her sons and nephews had also rendered meritorious service in the Northwest, which made the Empress even happier.

Hongli did not stay with the Empress for long, and went to visit his birth mother, Niohuru, who was also in the Yuanmingyuan.

Now that Xiao Fu Hui is by Niohuru's side, the courtyard has become a bit more lively.

Because when Xiao Fu Hui came, it wasn't just him who came alone; many of the eunuchs and maids who served him also had to come along.

Therefore, when Hongli comes to Niohuru's place now, he often hears people calling out, "Eighth Prince, slow down," "Eighth Prince, be careful," and "Eighth Prince, please forgive me."

It is obvious that Xiao Fuhui was much more mischievous with Niohuru than with Yongzheng.

Consort Niohuru could not control him at all, and might even be intentionally letting his true nature run wild.

However, when Hongli arrived today, he found that Niohuru's place was very quiet, with only the faint aroma of noodles wafting through the air.

Hongli smiled knowingly at this.

He knew he had arrived at the right time; Niohuru was once again personally making noodles for Xiao Fu Hui.

It is said that Niohuru was born into the Eight Banners and her family was of modest means before she entered the Yong Prince's mansion. Therefore, she often had to cook with her mother and aunts. So she was not a noble lady who never lifted a finger to cook, and thus she was very good at making noodles.

After becoming Consort Xi and having her own private kitchen, Niohuru simply revived the skills she had acquired as a young lady at home, occasionally cooking for herself.

When Hongli came to pay his respects to Niohuru, he was fortunate enough to taste the food that Niohuru had personally prepared, and the food was mainly noodles.

Because of Niohuru's exquisite skills, Hongli naturally enjoyed eating the food made by Niohuru.

It wasn't just him who liked it; Emperor Yongzheng, Hongzhou, and Xiao Fuhui also liked it very much.

This is one of the reasons why Xiao Fuhui was willing to come to Niu Gulu's place.

"Greetings to Fourth Brother!"

Upon learning that Hongli had arrived, Fu Hui immediately ran out and bowed deeply to him.

Hongli helped him up and asked with a smile, "Did Mother make you something delicious again?"

Fu Hui nodded and hummed in agreement. Hongli could tell that little Fu Hui had become much more cheerful and outgoing since living with Niohuru, and had also gained some weight.

He had to admit that Yongzheng's cold face may have indeed added a lot of psychological pressure to Xiao Fuhui.

The fact that Niohuru treated Xiao Fu Hui so well, just like she treated Hong Zhou, undoubtedly made Xiao Fu Hui more accustomed to living with her and even less willing to return to Yongzheng's side.

It can be said that Niohuru's actions were essentially for the sake of his own son.

"Greetings to Mother!"

When Hongli arrived, he saw that Niohuru had already returned to the main hall and was sitting upright on the Arhat bed, so he immediately paid his respects.

After Niohuru exempted Hongli from the formalities, she granted Hongli and Xiao Fuhui seats.

After thanking him, Hongli inquired about Niohuru's recent health.

Unsurprisingly, Niohuru remained in excellent health, unlike Emperor Yongzheng, who suffered from coughing and wheezing after exposure to slight heat or cold, and showed no signs of lethargy.

He could therefore guess that Xiao Fuhui's presence had not affected her sleep or mood at all; in fact, she seemed to be even happier.

After making his request to Niohuru, Hongli went to the Grand Council.

The war in the Northwest was not over yet, and the 100,000-strong army was consuming large amounts of food every day. The price of food, which was already rising due to inflation, was also rising even faster due to the war.

He would need to spend more time at the Grand Council to discuss with the Grand Councilors how to deal with unforeseen circumstances and prevent internal civil unrest while fighting foreign wars.

When gentry rebel, they need to contact military commanders, which requires some skill and patience to observe the situation. But common people are different. When they are really starving, they don't care about anything else. They will rebel if they want to. As long as they can have a full meal today, it is worth it even if they are to be executed tomorrow.

Therefore, as the current regent prince of the Qing Dynasty, he could not allow the people to starve to the point of rebellion!

"The Shuntian Prefecture reported that the current price of rice is higher than in the spring, resulting in a surge in rice buyers at the rice mills in the five cities, causing overcrowding. It is requested that one more mill be added in each city and Tongzhou to widely reduce the price of high-quality rice."

After Hongli arrived, Marseille reported to the Shuntian Prefecture requesting the establishment of a Changping Rice Mill.

"Your request is granted. There is no need to worry about stockpiling grain. If we run out, I, the Regent, will personally lead five thousand Miao soldiers south to procure more grain!"

Hongli said after hearing this.

Marseille and other Grand Councilors were all taken aback upon hearing this.

Hongli spoke first: "Any other news?"

"Vice Minister Wang Guodong reports that Governor-General Tian Wenjing of Hedong did indeed conceal the floods in Shandong and Henan, claiming that there were countless famine victims in the two provinces and that many were selling their children. Therefore, he requests that the war in the Northwest be suspended, the autumn grain rations in the two provinces be waived, and grain be allocated for disaster relief!"

"The Governor of Hunan, Zhao Hongen, reports that seven prefectures and counties, including Lizhou and Linxiang, and three garrisons, including Yuezhou, are suffering from severe drought, with over 100,000 people starving. The grain stored in the Ever-Normal Granary is insufficient. He requests that the Northwest Army be withdrawn and autumn grain be reserved for famine relief!"

"The Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, Cha Lang'a, reported that the high price of rice in Shunqing and Kuizhou prefectures of Sichuan, due to the supply of grain to Yunnan, Guizhou and the Northwest, has caused great famine among the people. Moreover, a solar eclipse is imminent. He requested that the war in the Northwest be stopped and that grain be reserved to relieve the people, in accordance with the will of Heaven!"

After Marseille presented a series of memorials from governors and viceroys requesting a halt to the war in the Northwest due to disasters and celestial phenomena in various regions, Hongli's expression grew increasingly grim.

"Tian Wenjing, dismiss him from his post and investigate! Wang Guodong, the Vice Minister, is hereby appointed acting Governor-General of Hedong, and is granted exemption from autumn grain rations!"

"The Grand Council and the Ministry of Revenue are discussing the allocation of grain. As for the war in the Northwest, there are natural disasters every year. Does that mean we won't fight every year?"

"The same applies to other governors and viceroys; they allocate grain when it is due and exempt grain tax when it is due."

"But none of these are reasons to ask the imperial court to halt the war in the Northwest!"

"Without a complete victory in foreign wars, no matter how much we care for the people's livelihood in our domestic policies, it will be of no use!"

Emperor Hongli suspected that these governors and viceroys were colluding to prevent the war in the Northwest from continuing.

Historically, wars also occurred in the Northwest during this period. Although there were constant calls to stop the wars in the Northwest, there was never a situation like today where, after the initial victory in the Northwest, natural disasters and calamities were used to request a halt to the wars.

However, Hongli was unsure whether these people didn't want him to achieve great merit again or didn't want the commander-in-chief at the front to achieve great merit.

But he didn't intend to speak openly about things he wasn't sure about. After expressing his opinion, he simply asked, "Has any grain arrived from Jiangnan?"

(End of this chapter)